The UK government is considering plans to temporarily relax restrictions on night-time flying in an attempt to ease delays at airports this summer, according to reports in the national press.
Quoting a source familiar with the discussions, The Sunday Times reported the proposal comes amid mounting concern about staff shortages and potential strikes across the aviation industry.
Officials are said to be concerned about the number of airports which have too few baggage handlers to cope with the increase in travellers.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps is said to be considering the plans, intended to ease the pressure by allowing longer intervals between flight departures.
While there is no formal ban on night-time flights, some airports such as Heathrow have had restrictions placed on them by the government. These includes caps on the amount of noise the airport can make between certain times and the number of take-offs and landings permitted at certain times of the day.